Learning centre approved for animal sanctuary
BBCPlans to build a learning centre at a wildlife sanctuary in North Yorkshire have been approved.
The log cabin at Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary will provide a dedicated indoor space for education and also offer facilities for community workshops and conservation activities.
The single-storey detached cabin will be located to the south-east of the site at Stainsacre Lane in Whitby.
The sanctuary was founded in 2009 and its website states it carries out 3,000 animal rescues a year and has a team of more than 170 volunteers.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the cabin will have a pitched roof and will be 25ft (7.6m) in depth and 34ft (10.4m) in length.
The sanctuary is situated on former agricultural land and includes several out-buildings, aviaries and fencing.
The applicant said: "The log cabin is essential to the functional operation, consolidation and development of Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary, an established rural wildlife rescue rehabilitation centre.
"It represents a sustainable low-impact form of development that supports rural activity, conservation and public engagement."
Planning officers concluded that the cabin would not result in harm to the character of the countryside and could be constructed subject to conditions.
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